Love, peace & respect
Watching: 'The Bird People in China' by Takashi Miike
Listening to: 'The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse' by Duke Ellington
Wondering: why so many writers (poets mainly) would have been racing to write the ultimate bombing poem, ostensibly to memorialise what happened, but in reality demonstrate their lack of respect for the ongoing emergency work in the aftermath, and the fact that they are totally self-centred, saying 'look at me, don't I care a lot?' By all means write about it, but you don't have to put it out there just yet - people are still seeking and bleeding, and for now at least, wailing and gnashing of teeth is the monopoly of those right in it. But then again, 'DB!' disagreed with my point of waiting awhile before writing. She put it to me that its good to write while the anger is still white hot. I have to concede on that point, just as SteveM had said to me earlier in the week. We agreed that you don't do it for show. That is pretty fuckin' bad form. On that basis, i'll write something, but I don't think anyone will see it.
Get outta town and see your family or at least call them.
Love, peace & respect,
Fearless
posted by Woz at 4:30 am
7 Comments:
Disagree with your comments re. poems about the bombing. Think you potentially assume too much. To shoot people down for responding is I think a potentially unhealthy thing to do - there is a place for criticism but let us not repress response, (reminds me of those people who criticised Geldof for his London Live 8 line-up).
Let us not criticise people for starting somewhere... It's an unusual situation. It is human nature to respond but in this case we don't necessarily know how - and that's OK, let us do what we can and if that is write then yes, let us write...
I don't think that there is a hierarchy of response and in a way even if there is then I don't think that that is the point - as human beings we do what we can and who is to say that people who write are not also acting in other ways too... We are diverse beings.
To write about what moves you, about what moves you genuinely is not an act of vanity - the heart is not concerned with vanities. We cannot all be paramedics, surgeons, nurses, counsellors. Some of us have other skills even though in this situation we may feel that our skills are inferior.
Can the written word save lives? What is the point of a poem? Is art an indulgence at such times? And are these writers genuine or merely posturing? I understand that your stance is more cynical than mine here.
Well, I guess you got me thinking on a not so sunny saturday morning!
12:18 pm
A good point eloquently made. It is true that nobody has the monopoly on feeling or response. Perhaps I am cynical, but while there may be a great many 'genuine' writers, there are quite a few 'posturing' ones. I would like them to lay off awhile, just awhile.
I have been known to say that 'circumstances are not important, it's your response that counts'; but sometimes, I get concerned by motives. However, that leads to another question, is a good thing done under a bad motive still a good thing?
I don't have any answers - well, no more reliable than the next person.
However, the post began with my wondering why many (not all) would be memorialising in great haste. That was the starting point.
For what it's worth, when I considered writing something, I was thinking of perspectives - the tube victim, the bus victim, the rescuer, the bomber, the bigot and the (later) victim of a 'random' act of revenge/racism. It went from one piece into six potential ones.
Glad to make you think on a Saturday. Thanks in return for making me think some more too.
I wonder if your frequent use of ellipsis gives you away...
12:20 am
Hi Fearless, Yes it`s a good point about the emergency services in there noble course .
Ihave just found out that the nights templers ,ended up being st johns Ambulance, after the hosptalars templars whent out to the cruisades know the bombers bring there crusade here, st johns must be helping it`s just a big loop.
I think it`s ok if you write sensitively about the lost life the carnage etc,sentiment can be a good healing tool.
We live in the age of supreme arrogance to that humans lives are so calously taken.
Innocent people dying because the
foolish decisions by world states less not forget the biggest chaos maker USA with it`s mercenry attitude in conflict that involve the recruitment of Bin Laden ,to overthrow the then secular govt. of Afganistan. Iraq the puppet emperor was placed by the west. When he was bombing Iran he was a hero of the west recession hit britain in the 80`s saw the weaponry exports go through the roof the angels of death leave our sure to cause murder and mayhem.
The truth of the matter is that Saddem Hussain could of been ousted peacefully ,but no war no fucking profit! So innocent people die , so it becomes an excuse to try to make things more difficult for us ID cards, for example they are trying to be greedy and just at the same time. false.
12:45 am
As I said before, I accept that writing can be a good thing. However, I remain steadfast in questioning the motives of some of those who dived into the inkwell of expression with great haste.
So sue me.
1:22 pm
Re. predilection for ellipsis: you would make a good bloodhound.
Re. 'is a good thing done under a bad motive still a good thing?' definitely in philosophical waters here. I suppose something could accidentally turn out to be a 'good thing' but I think that with a 'bad motive' behind it it could never be more than superficially good. In other words it seems to me that 'a good thing under a good motive' would be the more spiritually sure-footed way to start.
So, I think for me the answer is 'no' with regard to the spiritual realm: a bad motive, like a bitter seed, would I am inclined to believe blacken the act however 'good'. Purity of intention matters in the spiritual realm.
I am inclined therefore to say let the writers write and let us step back and let Time and Spirit be the judge.
It occurs to me that that sounds horribly grandiose, it's not meant to!
9:09 am
Perspectives, different voices would I think be a more humbling approach i.e. is not tragedy more deeply felt on a personal level?
9:14 am
I am just asking the pen studs to hold off and have a bit of respect for the dead and the as yet undiscovered. By all means write, just don't rush to pimp it.
As for 'perspectives', i'll think about doing it. Part of it chimes in with 'Before Brown was Fashionable' and I have barely started that.
9:44 am
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